What you need to know
This year, Reba McIntyre is kicking off the holiday season with a bang.
On Thursday, October 23, PEOPLE can exclusively announce that the singer and actress will host Christmas at NBC’s Rockefeller Center.
“I’m really excited to be going to New York City in December. I’ve never been to New York in December,” McIntyre, 70, tells PEOPLE.
She added, “Seeing all the Christmas decorations and attending the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center is something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m honored that they asked me to do it.”
The annual special celebrates the holiday season with the lighting of the famous tree in the heart of New York City. It will be broadcast live on Wednesday, December 3rd at 8pm ET on NBC and simulcast on Peacock.
In addition to hosting duties, the Happy’s Place actress will perform throughout the evening. More stars will appear in the special, but they will be announced at a later date.
McIntyre said she plans to “pack up” in preparation for the New York City weather.
“I’m going to wear triple or quadruple layers. I’m probably going to wear a heated vest, wear as much clothing as I can, and wear insulated underwear,” she says.
John Russo
This week, the Voice star appears on the cover of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, and talks about the joys she’s experiencing in her 70s.
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“I think I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my life,” McIntyre says. “It’s great. It’s great to be 70 years old and still be able to do what I want to do at the level I want to do.”
She is currently busier than ever, appearing on two of NBC’s hit shows, “The Voice” and “Happy’s Place.”
“Every time I step on that set, I feel like I’m home. This is my happy place,” she says of the sitcom, in which she co-stars with Melissa Peterman, Belissa Escobedo and her fiancé, Rex Lynn. The show will resume on November 7th.
Casey Durkin/NBC
As for whether she thinks she’ll ever retire, she told PEOPLE she has no plans to slow down, at least not for the time being.
Regarding the possibility of retirement, McIntyre said, “I don’t know when that will be. It could be in 20 years.” “I think we’ll see when the time comes. Dolly[Parton]and I talked about it a lot when she did Reba’s show. So I said, ‘Are you going to retire? “She said, ‘Why would I do that?’ What could I do that would be as much fun as I have doing this job right now?” ”I agree with her 100 percent. I may slow down, but I have no plans to retire.”
“I love this chapter of my life. I’m so grateful,” she concluded.
Christmas at Rockefeller Center will be broadcast live on Wednesday, December 3rd at 8pm ET on NBC and simulcast on Peacock. Season 2 of Happy’s Place will premiere on Friday, November 7th on NBC, and will be available to stream on Peacock the following day. The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm ET on NBC.
